Drama!

Today the children are home with me because it's a PA day. That's right, a PA day....right in the middle of the week.

I was reading in one of my favourite spots when Julie asked if she could give her hamster, Gabriella, a treat. Absolutely, I say. About five minutes later she came out of her room crying. She said she knew I was going to be mad, it was just an accident, on and on. Finally she spit it out: she had taken Gabriella out of her cage and put her on her bed "just for a minute" to do something and when she turned around she was gone. "I think she's under my bed!"

Honestly! Hamsters are not my thing. I don't like to touch them at all and now we had to do a Search and Rescue to find it. I had to call in reinforcements... SAM!

We couldn't even get into her room because she had barricaded the door with a bunch of her large toys in an effort to keep me out. She had to move everything just so we could get inside. (Note: this is the second time she has lost Gabriella in her room and the second time she has barricaded the door in an effort to keep Ian or me out)

Bless Sam's heart... he pulled out the bed ~ along with half a million toys ~ and was able to locate Gabriella but couldn't reach her. I suggested he try to move her along with a coat hanger. (I was trying!) I said there was no way I could touch it with my bare hands so maybe we could "flick" her back into the cage. Julie kept crying and squeezing a fistful of my shirt saying "I'm so sorry mommy... I know you are mad.....it was an accident...." I was too skeeved out to be cross with her so I just kept saying "let's just find her before we get too far ahead of ourselves."

I gave Sam some hamster treats to try to lure her out ~ amidst Julie's orders not to give her more than one because she is on a diet ~ and sure enough he got her and returned her to her cage. WHEW! Crisis averted.

I look down at Julie to see these two huge blue eyes filled with tears and get the "Do you have to tell Daddy?" question.

Sigh. "Yes, love. I have to tell Daddy. It was his rule that you don't take Gabriella out of her cage without him or me there. This is the second time you've lost her in your room."

Sam called Ian to tell him of his heroic rescue of poor defenseless Gabriella. Ian and I got laughing about it so don't worry (my one or two readers!) she isn't in big trouble.

She is up there under my orders to clean up her room before her father comes home. Every five minutes I get pleas for a break or a rest.

All of this happened before lunch! My days are usually spent reading or puttering around quietly, watching tv or napping. Quietly..... These things are only supposed to happen on Saturdays or Sundays when Ian is around! He deals with Hamster Drama better than I do.

Oh I love these children. They are always up to something! We're going to make cupcakes this afternoon and decorate them together. Hopefully there won't be any Cupcake Drama.